BIG GAME FISH

Southland Times, Issue 20204, 15 June 1927, Page 12

BIG GAME FISH

TWO KINDS OF MARLIN. SCIENTIFIC IDENTIFICATION Although much has been written about big-game fishing in New Zealand, few people have troubled to seek information regarding swordfish except from the sporting point of view. This gave some extra interest to a short address given by Mr. L. T. Griffin, of the Auckland Museum, at a meeting of the Auckland Institute on Tuesday (states the “New Zealand Herald”). Mr. Griffin visited the Bay of Islands in February to study marine life and particularly to examine swordfish identity. The literature on the subject of swordfish and spearfish was very meagre and widely scattered, said Mr. Griffin. As a matter of fact, the most comprehensive work on the subject was a monograph published in California only last year. One reason why the information was scanty was that the fish were altogether too large for preservation in spirit. The only exhibits to be found in most museums were skins, indifferently mounted, photographs of mutilated specimens, and examples of swords. Only one species of the broadbill swordfish. Xyphias Gladius, was known, but the speafish comprised three genera and a number of species. Only one genus, Makaira, was represented in New Zealand waters. The other two were distinguished by the great length and height of the dorsal fin, and were popularly known as sailfish. After examining specimens, he had no hesitation in identifying the black marlin with Makaira Mazara, a species found as far north as Hawaii, but not in California waters or anywhere off the coast of North America. He was of opinion that the black marlin had been taken in Australia, but that it had been wrongly identified with a fish of the genus Tetraphurus. The so-called giant black marlin, found off Santa Catalina, California, was not the' same as the New Zealand fish. The former had no traces whatever of stripe markings, whereas they were evident in the latter. The New Zealand striped marlin, a smaller fish of lighter colour and more elegant shape, he identified with Makaira Mitsukurii, so named after a Japanese scientist. This species was found from Japan to Hawaii, and also in California waters, off Santa Barbara. It had not been reported from Australia, but probably it existed there. Both species, said Mr. Griffin, were summer visitors to New Zealand. His observations showed that they fed upon kahawai, young dogfish, and trevalli, whereas the 1 broadbill’s food was principally squid. Fish taken from marlins had often been speared, showing that after being impaled they had : been thrown off the spear and swallowed. The dogfish had not been treated in this ! way, having apparently been caught on the : sea bottom. Many conjectures had been made re--1 garding the reason why fewer big game fish > were about during last season, and it had 5 been suggested that the food supply was ■ low. Actually the food supply had been ■ quite as good as usual. The only explans ation seemed to be that fewer fish had t come to New Zealand last summer. Incidentally. Mr. Griffin urged that more s systematic work should be done in searching - for new varieties of fish around the New i Zealand coast, especially that of the Aucki land province, which was very rich in marine life. He showed pictures of several t new species discovered by himself and , others.